Titan Saturn System Mission

Origin and status

The major goals of the TSSM mission can be summarized under four categories:

• Explore Titan as a system
• Study Titan's organic inventory and astrobiological potential
• Constrain Titan's origin and evolution models
• Recover information on Enceladus and Saturn's magnetosphere

At Titan, the science goals would be to provide information on such aspects as the composition of the surface and the geographic distribution of the various organic constituents; on the methane cycle and the methane reservoirs; on the ages of the surface features, and in particular on whether cryovolcanism and tectonism are actively ongoing or are relics of a more active past; on the presence or absence of ammonia, of a magnetic field and of a sub-surface ocean; on the chemistry that drives complex ion formation in the upper atmosphere; and on a large altitude range in the atmosphere, from 400–900km, which remains poorly explored after Cassini. In addition, much remains to be understood about seasonal changes of the atmosphere at all levels, and the long-term escape of constituents to space.

TiME lander would splashdown on Ligeia Mare, a methane sea on Titan's northern hemisphere. It is believed that Titan's methane cycle is analogous to Earth's hydrologic cycle, with meteorological working fluid existing in liquid and gas phase. TiME would directly discern the methane cycle of Titan and help understand its similarities and differences to the hydrologic cycle on Earth. TSSM would be the first mission in the 50 years of space exploration where an extensive and interdisciplinary in situ survey of active organic chemistry and climate on the land, on the sea, and in the air of another world will take place.

References

References

1. (20 October 2009). "TANDEM/TSSM mission summary". European Space Agency.
2. Rincon, Paul. (2009-02-20). "Jupiter in space agencies' sights". [[BBC News]].
3. (19 Jan 2009). "TSSM NASA/ESA joint summary report". ESA.
4. (February 18, 2009). "NASA and ESA Prioritize Outer Planet Missions". NASA.
5. Rincon, Paul. (18 February 2009). "Jupiter in space agencies' sights". BBC News.
6. (12 February 2009). "ESA internal study report on ESA contributions to Tandem/TSSM available". [[ESA]].
7. Creech, Stephen. (April 2014). "NASA's Space Launch System: A Capability for Deep Space Exploration". Strategy & Partnerships Space Launch System (SLS) Program.
8. Hsu, Jeremy. (14 October 2009). "Nuclear-Powered Robot Ship Could Sail Seas of Titan".
9. Stofan, Ellen. (25 August 2009). "Presentation to NASA's Decadal Survey". Space Policy Online.
10. (June 23, 2008). "NASA's Planetary Science Division Update".